


Dawn on the Sea

by jenskaya20



Category: Ghost of Tsushima (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cub and Wolf, Gen, Sequel, parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29711406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenskaya20/pseuds/jenskaya20
Summary: Possible prologue to a Ghost of Tsushima Sequel. It is the Second Mongol Invasion, and Tsushima is completely overwhelmed. A little girl has been rescued by the Ghost when an evacuation attempt to the mainland goes completely wrong. She will soon discover that they are tied by more than just fate...
Relationships: Brother and Sister, Cousins - Relationship
Kudos: 3





	Dawn on the Sea

_The second Mongol Invasion_

Mei wrapped her blanket tightly around her, an icy fog enveloping the small canoe. It was only large enough for a few people, and the ocean waves rocked it up and down. Her companion was a silent man who rowed the oars until they could reach mainland Japan.

It all started on Tsushima with the sudden evacuation. Father had to stay behind and fight, but she, Mother and her little brother were taken on a boat to get to Iki. There was a lot of screaming and panic around the castle, and Mei only had time to take an extra kimono and her toy dragonfly. But by the time they got to Iki, Tsushima was completely surrounded and many ships were already chasing them. They had a choice: risk the waters to get to the mainland, or stay on Iki island and wait for a later opportunity. Seeing that Iki would soon be overrun, the samurai escort of Mei’s family chose the former.

The night of the trip to the mainland, Mei saw fire in the distance behind their ship, torches far away. The wind was against them, and the invaders had numerous oars to fight the current. They weren’t interested in prisoners: not a single survivor would be allowed to reach the mainland, to keep the element of surprise as long as possible. The Tsushima ship was no match for the howling hwachas as they fired from afar, fiery bolts in the foggy night. They were still many miles from shore.

“Everyone! Get onto the lifeboats!” There were only four in total. Mei’s mother and baby brother were put on one boat in a hurry, leaving Mei behind. She had gone to grab her belongings before the ship was all aflame.

As a bolt exploded in her main quarters, she heard a cry from far away, someone calling her name. She raced through the flames towards the voice to see a man in black ronin attire, someone she never saw before. He wore a black mask and headband.

Rather than question him, Mei let him grab her by the arm and they ran to the deck. Fire was everywhere and the mysterious man quickly put out the flames that caught the last lifeboat on fire.

“Get in!” he yelled and Mei jumped in. The man released the boat out onto the water, and they rowed safely away into the fog. The smoke of the burning ship covered them for now, and more shouting was heard in the night. In the distance, Mei saw a hwacha fire upon another spot in the open water. The lifeboat there exploded into flames, and she could hear the horrific screams rising from it.

“Mother!!” Mei cried.

“Quiet! Or the Mongols will hear where we are!” the man rushed to her side and covered her mouth. Mei squirmed in terror but she knew he was right. She sobbed silently while everything became quieter. Even the waves and wind softened as the burning ship was left behind them.

The 2 of them had been out at sea this night for over an hour. The man tirelessly rowed forward, knowing where to go despite the fog. Only a pale moon high above gave any sort of illumination, for they had no lamps, and to light one was out of the question if they did.

“I’m cold…” Mei said weakly. She shivered under her blanket.

“Here, come sit by me. Carefully now.”

Mei was small enough not to risk capsizing the small canoe and she crawled towards the feet of the man. She huddled down between his legs while he continued rowing.

By the second hour the man had gotten very tired and took a break. This whole time they hadn't talked.

“Are you alright?” he asked once he caught his breath.

“I’m okay. Where are the other lifeboats?”

“I don’t know. Let’s hope they escaped.”

“Is it just us?”

“Perhaps. Have hope, young Mei.”

“You know my name?”

“Yes. You are the Jito’s daughter.”

“Are you a samurai?”

“… No. But I serve your father, in a way. He asked me to accompany your family, in secret.”

“Why secret?”

“I’ll explain to you another time…” he picked up the rows and pressed on.

They said nothing again for another hour as Mei decided to take a nap. She slept fitfully, and when she woke up it was still night.

“I’m so cold…”

“Here… take my cloak too,” he took his off and put it around her. She had 2 blankets now. It must have been a sashimono banner long ago, with a familiar symbol on it.

“Are you my brother?”

“What?” the man was startled.

“I’ve seen that symbol before, the twin mountains. That was my brother’s symbol, but I don’t know why…”

“Lord Shimura had a son, yes. Perhaps he still does. That symbol is clan Sakai, the clan his son was from.”

“A different clan?”

“Yes, because he was to be adopted.”

“So is that you?”

“… I might have known him, yes.”

“Is that why you wear a mask?”

“What did your father tell you about your brother?” he ignored the question.

“That he was lost long ago in the first invasion, but not killed. That he was a good man who made mistakes, but his heart was in the right place. That he was the kindest, most brave man he ever knew. Father said I would love him.”

“... Anything else?” the man looked at her in awe.

“No. He wouldn’t say more. Just that he loves him very much, and misses him terribly. But he is grateful for me, that I was born instead. Father wouldn’t trade me for anything.”

The man didn’t respond. Mei thought it was because he was tired, so she tried to fall back to sleep when he made no reply. The slow pulse of the oars on the ocean and the heaving waves lulled her into a comfortable state and she passed out from exhaustion.

The man saw lights on the horizon, a sign of civilization. They were only a mile off shore now, and once they made landfall, they would need to get the samurai’s attention immediately. But he had nearly exhausted all his strength. Above all else, even his life, he needed to save Mei.

The sun had not yet risen but provided a pale glow to the east. The man rowed through the shaky shore waves and got on foot to drag the boat onto the shore, every step agonizing. His whole body was a wreck, but as soon as he knew the boat was secure, he sighed in relief and collapsed on the beach, unconscious...

When Mei woke up, she felt the sun on her face. She was still curled up inside the canoe and was extremely stiff, but she did feel warmer now. The sound of crashing waves and seagulls alerted her that they made landfall. She sat up in the canoe and looked around: this was a remote area, far away from any towns. The forest ahead was thick and made an incline up towards a mountain. However, a few smoke stacks were seen in the distance, at least an hour’s walk.

Mei got out of the boat and saw the man collapsed face-down on the beach, unmoving. In his hand was his mask. Rather than wake him up, she took it out of his hand to look at it. It was certainly a samurai mask, but it was dark, worn out. Mei sat there in thought for some moments.

The man groaned quietly and stirred from his spot.

“You _are_ my brother.”

The man looked up to see Mei kneeling next to him with the mask in her hands.

“… How do you know?”

“I see your face now,” she did not smile.

The man made no protest and laid on his back on the beach, but stayed awake.

“I’m so glad you are safe. I owed your father this, more than anything else.”

“I’m glad you're alright too. Thank you. I’ve always wanted to meet you.”

The man chuckled softly and slowly sat up. “As have I. My name is Jin Sakai.”

“Father never told me your name. I’m glad to know it, my lord,” Mei bowed her head to the sand to him.

They sat in silence and looked out to the ocean. There were no signs of Mongols but there were no other boats either.

“Are we the only survivors?” Mei’s voice broke and she began to cry.

“… I don’t know…” Jin put his arm around her shoulders. “Our journey isn’t over. We must alert the people of the invasion, they do not know about it yet. It will come to the mainland this time.”

He put his hand out to take the mask from Mei, but she held onto it. Tears streamed down her little face.

“Don’t wear this anymore... please. It frightens me.”

“I wear it as a warrior, and to hide who I am. I am a wanted man, and the Shogun has been hunting me.”

“Don’t be the Ghost,” Mei sobbed and shoved the mask into the sand.

Jin was startled that she put the pieces together. “But I already am whether I want to be or not.”

“So you tried to kill father?”

“How do you know about that?”

“Father never told me, but others did, the people. I know about the Ghost… You tried to _kill_ him!”

“No, it wasn’t our choice! Neither of us wanted to kill each other. But I spared him, I couldn’t kill my family. Mei… I’m so sorry… forgive me.”

“… I always wanted you to be my brother," she whispered in a heart-broken voice.

Jin sighed and said nothing. He picked the mask up gently and looked at it. The gift of a friend so many years ago. What would he say if he were here now? But before he could defend himself to Mei, he was stunned into silence. A revelation hit him.

Like looking through the eyes of someone else for the first time…

“Mei…”

Jin dug a small hole in the sand and buried the mask. Mei watched him in astonishment. Tears were in his eyes, but he smiled.

“This is our second chance. I’ll take care of you, Mei. We will find out what happened to the rest of our family. And I will be your brother… Are you ready?” he put a hand out to her.

Mei wiped her eyes and looked at his hand, lost in thought. A dream awakened in her.

“I am ready,” she took his hand and stood up, and the two of them walked into the forest towards the nearest smokestack.

_Water flowing up_   
_Mountains sink into the ground_   
_Love repeats itself_

**Author's Note:**

> Again, just speculation of where the sequel might go. If we continue Jin's story, we may see the second Mongol Invasion which reached the mainland. Perhaps he will be required to fight for his people once more. But perhaps things have changed as well. Maybe his conflict has changed, now that he is completely alone, or perhaps now that for once he isn't, having a little cousin-turned-sister.


End file.
